Shock-absorber for vehicles



W. N. AMORY. SHOCK ABSORBER FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 91 I919.

Patented May 25, 1920.

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A INVE NTOR w. AMORY. SHOCK ABSORBER FOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9, I919.

1,341,407. Patented y 25, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2- 34 INVENTOR W. N. AMORY.

SHOCK ABSORBER'FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9. 1919.

1,341,407, I I Patented May 25,- 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

mm 9L INVENTOR emrro STATES "WILLIAM N. ANGRY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

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Specification of Letters ratent.

Application filed June 9, 1919.- Serial 11in. 302,896.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM N; AMonY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful provements in Shock-Absorbers ior Vehicles; and I do hereby declare the follow ing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention relates to an improved and. novel construction for use upon aeroplanes, automobiles, and, indeed, vehicles of all kinds, whereby shocks and vibrations due to travel over rough surfaces are absorbed or dissipated. In its application to aeroplanes, my improvement successfully relieves the aviator from the shock incident to an or, at least,- greatly lessens its efiect. 1

It is a valuable characteristic of my present invention that it serves toresist both the primary upward blows or thrusts due to rough roads to rebound and exerted in the opposite direction. Furthermore, the use of a single pneumatic cushion with resilient walls arranged to yield horizontally or at right angles to the direction of im act.

in my pending application for United States-patent l have described and claimed means whereby a single pneumatic cushion may be made available for receiving an dissipating or absorbing vibrational shocks both primaryand secondary; that is to say both the original blow and the one or more.

therefrom.

rebounds that result My present improvement upon the apparatus in question, wherein means are provided to distribute the blows overportions of the cushion not in the direct line of shock, and preferably to accomplish such distribution over the entire upper and lower areas of the cuson.

The invention is illustrated in a pre ierred form in the accompan drawings wherein lligure l is ayr elevation at a shock absorber in place il 'ig; 2 is a side elevation. oi the samefa rtion be broken away and a portion in vertical elevation, Fig. 3 is a plan and d an edge view of a pressuredi tribu'ting plate, t is a plan viewed ac d deade ti and the secondary shock due l accomplishthis by per element, and

invention has. relation to an Fig. 6 is a plan view of a preferred form of shock absorbing cushion, and Figs. 7 and 8 are end views of the two shock transmitting elements separated and placed side by side in their normal angular relation.

The shock absorber comprises essentially a pneumatic cushion and two shock transmltting elements connected respectively to the upper end and lower vehicle members, and so placed relative to each other and to the cushion as to transmit, pressure to the cushion whether exerted downward or upward thereon. ln'addition my present invention comprises means whereby the pres sures so transmitted are distributed over those parts of the cushion not in direct line with the pressure plates active at a given moment-and preferably over the entire surface of the cushion. Q

My shock absorber may be given a. varietyiof locations with res ect to the vehicle parts, as will be Well un erstood by those skilled in the art. In the particular preferred form shown I have shown it interposed between the frame 10, attached to or forming part of the upper vehicle member, and the end of a spring 11 attached to the lower member or running gear.

The specific construction of the preferred shock transmitting elements will be best understood by reference to Figs. 11,..2, 7 and 8. The shock transmitting element attached to the upper vehicle member 10 will be referred to herein, for convenience, as the upthe second or cooperating element will'be called the lower element. llt I Patented May 25, 1920.

will, of course, be understood that these elements may be interchanged or inverted without change of function, and without departing from the invention.

In the comprises a central spindle 12 (preferably tubular) provided at one end with a yoke 13 whereby it may be attached, asshown,to the frame 10. Near one end of the spindle, and just under the yolre, there project hot-rauntally and in diametrically opposite directions, two pressure-sectors 14 and 15; and directly beneath these, near the opposite end of the spindle, two exactly similar pressure-sectors project from the spindle, as at it and 1'2.

The lower element is fastened to the sp ll by the yoke 18 (Fig. l) which is prolonged upward sector-shaped parts 20 and 21, to-

to; shown the upper element in the form of two op;

wardly from the parts 20 and 21 of the lower element stem, are the two pairs of pressure-sectors 22, 23, and 24, 25. These correspond in horizontalpositions with the pairs of sectors 14, and 16, 17 on the upper element; and the dimensions of'the various sectors are such that the pair 14, 15 forms a complete circle with the pair 22,

23, while the pair 16, 17 forms a second cir-f.

cle with the pair 24, 25.

Between the two complete circles thus formed, there is placed the inflatable pneumatic cushion 26, which receives the shocks from the transmitting sectors, converting them into horizontally exerted stresses ten ing to distend the cushion horizontally outwardly and inwardl toward the stem or axis of the device. his, cushion is preferably made in substantiallygtori c form as shown in ,Fig. 6, and is preferably interrupted as at' 27, to permit, of its being pressed into place between the shock transmitting sectors and past the stem ofthe two elements.

It will bereadily seen that the cushion, in this position, will receive and absorb the energy of blows delivered either from above or below by either the upper or lower vehicle member.

' Fig. 1 illustrates the relative displacement of the sectors either when a shock is delivered from below by the sectors 24 and 25, or from above by the sectors 14 and 15. Obviously displacement in the opposite didid .rection would result upon the reaction .or

rebound following either of such blows.

It will bgseen tlliiat inflairgye case the cushion is squeeze or c 'ppe tween op s sectors out of line with each other as didii vertically. This implies a certain bending or distortional strain transversely to the cushion, and it is the principal object of the present invention to do away with this tendency, and to provide means whereby the shock transmitted through the various sectors are distributed over preferably the entire surface both above and below the cushion. l a

For this purpose distributing plates 28 and 29 are placed immediately over and under the cus 'on 26, and these plates preferably take the form shown in Figs, 3 and 4.

.ds there shown, each plate is. the form of an annular disk having a central circular aperture 30 fitting around the new 21. lit

will be seen that, by using distributing plates of this general character, the prmure euting sectors on each face of lower erted over a limited sector-shsiped area by the transmitting sectors above and below the cushion is distributed over the entire circle. This causes the cushion to be always compressed between directly opposedpressure plates, and eliminates all distortion,

besides removing all danger of cutting or pinching the cushion by or between the ding may be used. This may take the form of rubber surfaces 31 cemented on one or both sides or the plate (see Fig. 4) or separate rubber (or equivalent) pads 32 may be introduced between the distributing plates and the transmitting sectors. As shown in F ig. 5, such apad should be slit, as at 33, to permit it to be set in place around the stem21.

In order that the plates 28 and 29 may be placed around the stem 21 as above described, it i s preferred to construct each annular plate of two halves overlapping, forinstance,- .-"as shown at 34 in F ig. 4. These halves having been joined from opposite sides of the stem 21,. may be fastened together by various means. For instance, the overlapping portions may be brazed .together-or electrically welded. If desired, these parts may be riveted together, and, to facilitate this operation, one or more of the transmitting sectors may be provided with apertures ,35 (see F ig.- 7) permitting suflicient accss' to the plates, 28 and 29. Through these apertures these plates may be riveted on one side of the opening 30 at a time. Obviously, as soon as one plate, as 29, has been thus fastened,.the.other plate can be similarly put together in the same way.

While I have shown four shock transmitthe cushion, it will be obvious that a greater number can readily be employed in this connection, if desired.

Various changes may be made in the construction shown, without departing from the scope of my invention, and I do not limit myself to the details herein shown and dc What I claim isl. A shock absorbing-device for vehicles comprising a pneumatic cushion, means adapted to tranmit vibrational shocks from two directions over parts of the upper and surfaces of said cushion, and means adapted to receive the direct impact of the first named means and distribute the same over substantially the entire upper and lower cushionsurlaces. 2. ll shoch absorbing device for vehicles comprising a pneumatic cushion, opposed pairs of shock transmitting sectors forming a part of an upper member and opposed pairs of similar sectors lying normally side I by side with said first named sectors and stem.

4. The construction set forth generally in claim 3 hereof, wherein the distributing plates are composed of halves suitably con nected and spanning the hollow stem.

5. The construction set forth generally in claim 2 hereof, wherein sound deadening pads are interposed between the transmitting sectors and the distributing plates.

6. The construction set forth generally in claim 5 hereof, wherein the sound deadening pads take the form of facings fixed to the outer surfaces of said distributing plates. 7. The construction set forth generally in claim 2 hereof, wherein each set of transmitting sectors moving together is provided with a yoke for attaching the same to its appropriate vehicle member.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

W. N. AMORY. 

